Rules of Texas Hold'em

What is Texas Hold'em?

Texas Hold'em is a popular form of poker that is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The game can be played with as few as two players, but typically involves between six and ten players.

In Texas Hold'em, each player is dealt two private cards known as "hole cards". Five community cards are then dealt face up in the centre of the table, which are used by all players to make the best possible poker hand.

Learning how to play Texas hold'em poker is a straightforward process. The game's rules, gameplay, and hand rankings are all easy to understand, which contributes to its widespread popularity.

However, it's important not to be deceived by the game's apparent simplicity. With an enormous number of possible situations and combinations, Texas hold'em can become an incredibly complex game, especially when playing at higher levels.

If you're a beginner to the game, it's crucial to start by learning the basic rules. Not only are these rules the easiest to grasp, but they're also crucial for understanding the gameplay and, later on, developing basic strategies for the game.

Texas Hold'em Rules

So, what is Texas Hold'em and how do you play it?

The game's objective is to use your two hole cards in conjunction with the five community cards to create the best possible five-card poker hand. While Texas Hold'em is similar to other poker games, such as five-card draw, the way players construct their hands in Texas Hold'em is slightly different.

In a Texas Hold'em game, players are dealt two cards face down, known as the hole cards. Over the course of several betting rounds, five more cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These cards are called the community cards, and each player is free to use them in conjunction with their hole cards to build a five-card poker hand. The five community cards are dealt in three stages:

• The Flop (the first three community cards),

• The Turn (the fourth community card),

• The River (the fifth and final community card).

Your goal is to construct your best possible five-card poker hand using the two hole cards and the five community cards. You can use both your hole cards in combination with three community cards, one hole card in combination with four community cards, or no hole cards at all. If the cards on the table lead to a better combination, you can also play all five community cards and disregard your own hole cards.

In a game of Texas Hold'em, players can do whatever it takes to make the best five-card hand. If the betting causes all but one player to fold, the remaining player wins the pot without having to show their cards. This means players don't always need to hold the best hand to win the pot. It's always possible for a player to bluff and get others to fold better hands.

If two or more players make it to the showdown after the final community card is dealt, the only way to win the pot is by having the highest-ranking five-card poker hand.

Hand Rankings

Now that you know the objective of Texas Hold'em poker and the basic poker rules, let's run through the hand rankings.

• Royal Flush - This is the highest-ranking hand in Texas Hold'em, and it consists of a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the same suit.

• Straight Flush - This hand consists of any five cards of the same suit in sequence.

• Four of a Kind - This hand consists of four cards of the same rank, such as four Aces.

• Full House - A Full House contains three cards of the same rank and two cards of another rank.

• Flush - This hand contains any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.

• Straight - This hand contains five cards of sequential rank, but not all of the same suit.

• Three of a Kind - This hand contains three cards of the same rank, such as three Kings.

• Two Pair - This hand contains two cards of the same rank, plus another two cards of the same rank.

• One Pair - This hand contains two cards of the same rank, such as two Jacks.

• High Card - If none of the above hands are made, then the highest card in the player's hand is used to determine the winner.

Texas Hold'em follows the traditional poker rankings of individual cards with ace high and 2 low.

How to Play Texas Hold'em

There's a lot going on with each hand of poker, especially when it comes to player betting and much of the lingo surrounding the game.

So let's break down how a hand of poker is played.

The Button

The game of poker follows a clockwise rotation around the table, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer button

The button itself is a circular marker that is shifted one position to the left after each hand. In professional settings such as casinos, poker rooms and tournaments like the World Series of Poker, a designated dealer is hired to deal the cards, while in recreational games, the player with the button often takes on this responsibility.

The button is important because it determines which players must post the small and big blinds to initiate the betting.

The first two players to the immediate left of the button are responsible for posting these blinds. The game then proceeds through several stages known as "streets," including the preflop, flop, turn, and river, each of which has its own specific rules and strategies.

In Texas hold'em, the last active player closest to the button receives the final action on all post-flop play.

Additionally, the dealer button determines the starting point for dealing the cards, beginning with the player to the immediate left of the button in the small blind and proceeding clockwise until each player has received their two starting cards.

The Blinds

At the beginning of each hand, two players seated at the table are required to make mandatory or forced bets known as the small and big blinds.

These bets kick off the betting action and ensure that players are not simply waiting for premium hands to play - at some point every player at the table is forced to play the hand whether they like the cards they have or not. Without the blinds, the game would lack any initial action and become uneventful.

In cash games, the blinds remain the same throughout the game, but in tournaments, they increase at regular intervals to keep the game moving as players are eliminated and stacks grow larger.

Typically, the player immediately to the left of the button posts the small blind, while the player to their left posts the big blind. The amount of the small blind is usually half the amount of the big blind, though this can vary depending on the casino or type of game being played. The player to the left of the big blind in any given hand is not required to place a bet before play begins.

For instance, in a Texas hold'em game with a "$5/$10" betting structure, the small blind would be $5 and the big blind would be $10.

In tournaments, the blind amounts tend to increase as the game continues (especially if there haven't been any knockouts in a while) to ensure that players continue to remain invested.

First Betting Round: Preflop

Following the distribution of two hole cards to each player, the first round of betting ensues.

The initial player to take action is positioned to the left of the big blind, commonly referred to as 'under the gun.' This player must act first and has three options:

• match the big blind (call),

• raise the bet within the limits of the game,

• forfeit the hand (fold).

If a player chooses to fold, they are excluded from the current hand.

The amount by which a player can raise the bet depends on the specific game being played - fixed-limit, pot limit and no limit.

For instance, in a game of no-limit Texas hold'em, the opening raise must be a minimum of twice the big blind, and the maximum raise is the entirety of the player's chip stack (equal to an "all-in" bet).

In fixed-limit hold'em, a raise is always twice the big blind, while in pot-limit hold'em, players can wager anywhere from the amount of the big blind (minimum bet allowed) to the current pot's total.

Subsequently, play proceeds around the table in a clockwise direction, with each player having the same options as the initial player ('under the gun') - to call, raise or fold. Once the last bet is called and the action is 'closed,' the preflop round concludes, and play proceeds to the next phase, known as the "flop."

Second Betting Round: The Flop

Once the first preflop betting round concludes, the initial three community cards are dealt, and a second betting round begins, with only the remaining players participating.

During each subsequent betting round, the first active player to the left of the button initiates the action.

In addition to betting, calling, folding, or raising, players can now choose to 'check' if no betting has occurred in that round.

• Checking involves passing the action to the next player in the hand.
• Betting continues until the last bet or raise is called, which closes the action.
• Alternatively, all players may opt to check, which ends the betting round.

Third Betting Round: The Turn

After all the betting action on the flop, the fourth community card is dealt face-up and is known as the turn. Then, another round of betting takes place, which is similar to the previous street of play.

Players can once again choose to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

Final Betting Round: The River

After all betting action on the turn, the fifth community card, known as the river, is dealt face-up.

Subsequently, another round of betting takes place, resembling the previous street of play. Once again, the players who are still in the game can choose to check, bet, call, fold, or raise.

After all the betting is done, the players who have hole cards remaining reveal them to determine the winner, which is referred to as the showdown.

The Showdown

After all bets have been placed, the remaining players reveal their hole cards.

The dealer then helps determine the winning hand based on official poker hand rankings, and the player with the best combination of five cards takes the pot.

Texas Hold'em is a thrilling game of poker that can be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. By following the rules and strategies outlined in this guide, you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful Texas Hold'em player. So, ante up and let the games begin!